{"id":227,"date":"2019-08-29T13:15:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T12:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/2019\/08\/29\/doc-mustard-andrew-roland-oliver-a-tribute\/"},"modified":"2019-08-29T13:15:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-29T12:15:00","slug":"doc-mustard-andrew-roland-oliver-a-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/2019\/08\/29\/doc-mustard-andrew-roland-oliver-a-tribute\/","title":{"rendered":"Doc Mustard (Andrew Roland Oliver) – A Tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nDoc Mustard (Andrew Roland Oliver) – A Tribute<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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\nby Pete Clemons<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
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Andrew Rolland Oliver, variously know in musical circles as Ollie, Doc Mustard, The Rhythm Balladeer, Slim Dog Chilli and more, was born near Matlock. He passed away in 2019 down in Penzance. I met him when he moved to Coventry in 1973. I was typing an issue of Hobo (Coventry’s Music and Arts Magazine) in the office of  the Sunshine Music agency in Gulson Road Coventry. Sunshine was run by Craig Ward, Bob Young and others and Ollie walked in, looking less eccentric than he did in later years – I think he had a suit on!! He was playing bass in a rock band called SMACK and I gave the band a write up in the magazine. My biggest memory of Ollie was in the late 70’s \/ early 80’s in a a ska band called Machine – Hot Snacks. he went on to busk in Coventry and Cornwall and play in reggae bands and more. Doc Mustard did the sound and played at The Stoker venue, organised by Steve Ashwell in Coventry. Pete Clemons offers some interesting insights into the DOC’s musical influences. <\/i>Trev Teasdel<\/b><\/p>\n

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<\/b>It is fair to say I think that Andrew Roland Oliver, or Doc Mustard or Ollie as more widely known, led an alternative lifestyle. Ollie was non-mainstream, he believed in conspiracy theories, particularly those involving aliens, and, in general, lived outside of the cultural norm. <\/p>\n

Ollie moved to Coventry during 1973. Coventry folk of a certain age will remember Doc Mustard as a busker who pitched up, with his dog Paxo, around various locations in the city centre. This led to a partnership with former Tubulah Dog and Crokodile Tears guitarist, Jerry Richards, who became known as the Cobalt Kid. <\/p>\n

Ollie then moved onto Cornwall during the early 1990s. Firstly calling in at Mousehole and then eventually settling in at Penzance. <\/p>\n

Despite his life style, and the fact they clearly enthused him enough to get up and play, Ollie\u2019s musical influences would suggest that he was not that different from you and me. <\/p>\n

The following are a few of Ollie\u2019s quotes on albums that had an effect in his early years: <\/p>\n

\u2018Flowers of Evil\u2019 by Mountain: \u2018Back in early 70’s Matlock I was bass player in a rock trio called The Doughnut Band. We got a gig at The Cavern. As I walked down the steps into the basement club there was what sounded like PA feedback and I’m thinking it’s the sound engineer setting up. Wrong. It was the DJ who was spinning the Dream Sequence from this album and I’d arrived at the point where Leslie West holds a sustained note before breaking into Roll Over Beethoven. I was ecstatically blown away\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u2018Tons of Sobs\u2019 by Free: \u2018Whilst living in The Horse Shoe, Matlock Green during respite from boarding school, my friend a few doors along towards Tansley, Tom, who is wholly responsible for my guitar obsession thanks to his Watkins Rapier if my memory serves me well and also his album collection, would regale me with tales from his college adventures including rave reviews of this amazing band he’d seen called Free\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u2018The Eagles\u2019 by The Eagles: \u2018Back in the mid 70’s I saw Horace (Panter) in Gosford Street, Coventry on his way to Hits, Misses and Vintage records to part with some Eagles albums so we came to a satisfactory financial arrangement. Even before Joe Walsh they were awesome\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u2018Babylon by Bus\u2019 by Bob Marley and the Wailers: \u2018Living in multi-cultural Coventry from ’73-’91 I was blessed with an infusion of uplifting music. Here’s a top live album that helped to steer me towards the post of Keyboard player for an awesome Cov reggae band ‘The Ring’. <\/p>\n

\u201896 Degrees in the Shade\u2019 by Third World: \u2018I don’t take holidays as travel advertising in the name of global consumerism doesn’t appeal to me also I’m not a slave in need of respite despite having to report to the taxman annually. This album takes the mind on a vacation so here we are with the sun blasting away outside\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u2018Can\u2019t Buy a Thrill\u2019 by Steely Dan: \u2018I was living in Coventry when I heard this. Utterly ground-breaking harmonies, melodies and rhythms seriously fed my musical appetite. Can’t imagine how life would have been without them\u2019. <\/p>\n

\u2018Talking Book\u2019 by Stevie Wonder: When I moved to Coventry in ’73 as a bass player in a trio we were introduced to a drummer, Nick, who put us up temporarily in his flat in Radcliffe Road. Earlsdon. His dog Freddie always went apeshit every time the \u2018Crossroads\u2019 title theme came up on ITV. Nevertheless, this is an album that was a popular spin on the turntable. <\/p>\n

Ollie had just recently put together a trio called The Cobalt Kids. This involved former Coventry residents Alan Varney on bass guitar and Robert Brown on drums. <\/p>\n

According to Alan \u2018Doc Mustard and the Cobalt Kids were just ready to do gigs and we had a lot booked and even got 26 songs recorded 13 of which are on a CD, but just as it was about to be unleashed on the public Ollie took ill and within 12 weeks sadly passed away\u2019. <\/p>\n

Alan continued \u2018Of the 26 songs we put together for gigs and recording, about 13 are Ollie’s lyrics, with my bass and Robs drum parts. Just up to date versions of Ollie’s busking songs which are a mix of Boogie\/Reggae\/Ballad\/rock feel songs\u2019. \u2018I met up with Ollie here in Penzance this year the last time we met was in the 70s in Coventry. He called it Serendipity the way we met again after so many years. We jammed for an hour or so and then found we just clicked and had a great sound and Ollie loved it\u2019.<\/p>\n

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\nHere is a recent tribute from Cornwall Live https:\/\/www.cornwalllive.com\/news\/cornwall-news\/one-cornwalls-best-loved-buskers-3204360?fbclid=IwAR3obkBrIAJXbJS3cW2Nx97srImjd4OH-ipTgo60FZmCK6Pw2vuxWHEjxF4<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nDoc Mustard playing bass with Machine \/ Hot Snacks in the early 80’s. The original drummer of the band was Silverton Hutchinson who was also the original drummer of The Specials before John Bradbury joined. The band performed Two Tone band The Selecter on occasions.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nBelow – Ollie with a tale about his busking career!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\nThe Ring – Reggae band<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nDoc Mustard’s appearance on May the Best House Win.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nMore of Doc Mustards musical videos here<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ibrowze\/videos<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nhttps:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/bandsfromcoventrypart2\/home\/hot-snacks-machine?pli=1<\/a> More about Machine \/ Hot Snacks on this link. <\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nThe Ring<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n
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\nCraig Ward’s publicity sheet with Sunshine Music Agency Coventry 1974 for SMACK – Ollie played bass and sang vocals in the band.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nThe following are two news items from Hobo Coventry Music and Arts Magazine (edited by Trev Teasdel) 1974.<\/span><\/div>\n
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SMACK! …MISS UNDERSTOOD<\/b> (From Hobo Jan 1974)
“SMACK! formed from the now defunct Pug-ma-Ho, are now completing a tour of Germany. a single is due out around Christmas time on the Bell label.<\/p>\n

The number is entitled “Miss Understood” and was written by Bob Young. The line up of the band consists of Gordon Reaney on lead guitar; Ollie Oliver on bass guitar; Nicky Trevisthick on drums and a female vocalist by the name of Margo- Buchanan-Reid-Smith (Later a backing vocalist with Mud).”<\/p>\n

From Hobo  (February 1974)<\/p>\n

SMACK! PLAY GERMANY<\/b>
Just returned from a successful tour of Germany are SMACK!. The group who are Coventry based, hail mainly from Matlock. This phunky rock band who play original material, consists of these curios Smackeroos – Gordon Reaney – lead guitar, Ollie Oliver – bass and vocals, Margo-Buchanan-Reid-Smith on Vocals and smiles and Nicky Trevisthick on drums.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nDoc Mustard at the Stoker venue in Coventry c 1989 \/ 91, organised by Steve Ashwell<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nDoc Mustard with Simon Baker at the Stoker.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nThe following are Ollie’s press cuttings sent to me by Al Varney.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Doc Mustard (Andrew Roland Oliver) – A Tribute by Pete Clemons Andrew Rolland Oliver, variously know in musical circles as Ollie, Doc Mustard, The Rhythm Balladeer, Slim Dog Chilli and more, was born near Matlock. He passed away in 2019 down in … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsrainbow.com\/coventrygigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}